European Commission Vice President in charge of the rule of law Vera Jourová reacted Friday to the closure of several journalists’ profiles on the Twitter network by warning Elon Musk that there are «red lines» that protect fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and that the EU will «soon» have the ability to impose «sanctions» on digital platforms that violate those rules.
«The news about the arbitrary suspension of (accounts) of journalists on Twitter is worrying. The EU Digital Services Act requires respect for freedom of the press and fundamental rights,» Jourova warned in a brief message disseminated precisely through her Twitter profile.
The EU vice president added that the American tycoon who owns Twitter should be «aware» that there are «red lines» that protect freedom of the press and warned that there will also be «sanctions, soon».
Jourová is referring to the Digital Services Act (DSA) that the European Union agreed this year to prevent abuses by large digital platforms and strengthen the rights of users, although this new framework will not be fully in force until February 2024, although some provisions that do not refer to sanctions are already beginning to be implemented.
Jourová’s strong reaction comes in response to the social network’s decision to block the accounts of several journalists belonging to some major U.S. media outlets after they allegedly violated the platform’s terms by revealing personal information about Musk.
Specifically, the journalists, belonging to media outlets such as ‘The New York Times’, ‘The Washington Post’ or CNN, had reported on the banning of a Twitter account that published real-time updates on the whereabouts of the billionaire’s private plane, CNN has reported.
At a press conference in Brussels, the spokesman for Digital Economy and Innovation of the European Commission, Johannes Bahrke, stressed the importance of platforms having «clear, understandable and transparent» terms of use, while pointing out that the new European law stresses the obligation that when a platform acts on the terms of use it must do so in a «proportionate manner and with respect for fundamental rights».
«It cannot be (a measure) discriminatory or arbitrary», continued Bahrke, who warned that he was speaking in general terms about the new EU regulation and did not respond to any specific case.
